Report: Phillies' Bryce Harper cussed out commissioner
An irate Harper reportedly got in Manfred's face and told him to "get the f-- out of our clubhouse" if he wanted to discuss such a sensitive economic issue.
Manfred replied that he was "not going to get the f-- out of here," insisting it was important to talk about threats to the league's business and ways to grow the game, sources told ESPN.
Other players tried to defuse the situation and Harper and Manfred eventually shook hands after the meeting, but Harper would not answer calls from Manfred the next day, per the report.
"It was pretty intense, definitely passionate," Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos told ESPN. "Both of 'em. The commissioner giving it back to Bryce and Bryce giving it back to the commissioner. That's Harp. He's been doing this since he was 15 years old. It's just another day. I wasn't surprised."
Harper, 32, is one of the game's most influential players as a two-time National League Most Valuable Player and an eight-time All-Star.
The collective-bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association expires on Dec. 1, 2026. Many owners have pushed for a salary cap, as MLB is the only major men's sport in North America without one. Players are opposed, raising the specter of a potential work stoppage ahead of the 2027 season.
"Rob seems to be in a pretty desperate place on how important it is to get this salary cap because he's floating the word lockout two years in advance of our collective bargaining agreement (expiration)," Castellanos said. "That's nothing to throw around. That's the same thing as me saying in a marriage, 'I think divorce is a possibility. It's probably going to happen.' You don't just say those things."
Harper and Manfred both declined comment to ESPN. The visit with the Phillies was one of 30 that Manfred holds annually in an effort to improve his relations with each team and its players.
--Field Level Media
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